I get asked about career a lot.
I’ve had a (really, really) weird one, but here’s what I’ve learned in charting my own path:
(1) You have to find the intersection of (a) mission, (b) what the market values, and (c) your strengths.
(2) Stay aggressively authentic and honest with yourself on what these three things are.
(3) Outline your values and stick to them. Here are mine:
(a) stay curious (b) empathy over ego (c) radical open mindedness (d) be a proactive problem solver, and (e) exercise agency with rigorous, independent thinking.
(4) If something isn’t working for you in a job/relationship/partnership – identify the root cause and fix it. It’s also not wrong to quit.
(5) Make sure for your next thing, you’re “running towards” not “running from”.
(6) Talk to a lot of (credible) people. This is critical. Put on your “VC hat” and conduct extensive due diligence on the market, team, opportunity, potential, and terms. Be thorough.
(7) Never underestimate intuition and serendipity.
(8) Everything is compound interest: your skillset, relationships, and results. Stay patient.
